Man who abandoned boy along Interstate 20 found not guilty by reason of insanity

A man accused of abandoning his then-4-year-old child along Interstate 20 last year was found not guilty Monday by reason of insanity, court officials said.

Nolan County 32nd District Court Judge Glen Harrison made the ruling to drop criminal charges against Carlos Augusto Rico, 23, just before noon.

If he had been tried and convicted, Rico faced life in prison for charges of first-degree attempted capital murder, and injury to a child and abandoning a child, both third-degree felonies.

"In my opinion, it was just a classic psychotic episode," said Mike Brown, Rico's court-appointed attorney. "He went from reality to unreality, and he'll never get back to reality again. ... People were noticing he was extremely different than what he had been. It's part of court record that history of schizophrenia runs in his family."

Brown said Rico was ordered Monday to be examined at the North Texas State Hospital, a maximum security facility located in Vernon. Rico suffered a schizoaffective disorder episode at the time of the offense, Brown said.

Rico is scheduled to return back to court March 29 when a judge will determine if he will undergo outpatient, or inpatient, treatment.

"The issue is if he is going to take medication on his own," Brown said. "At this point, he is not a functional individual if he doesn't take his medication."

In June, a motorist found the boy, identified as Angel Flores, walking along the interstate in Sweetwater. Authorities said the boy reportedly suffered bruising to his skin, was dehydrated and was a survivor of physical abuse. The boy, authorities said, was covered with hundreds of cactus needles.

Calls to Nolan County District Attorney Ann Reed were not returned Monday afternoon.

The boy has been in foster case after being released from hospitalization. A final custody hearing is scheduled for May 21 to determine where he will be placed.

Criminal charges against Rico were filed after he turned himself and told police that he choked the child, threw him over a fence and left him for dead. Rico said he had been compelled to take his son's life by a "higher power."